Saturday, January 1, 2011

The era of near 4% mortgage rates has ended after a quick rate rise since early November. But some industry experts think that may be a good thing for the flagging housing market.

The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate has risen to 4.86% from 4.17%, according to Freddie Mac's weekly mortgage market survey. In the Bankrate.com weekly survey, the rate has risen to 5.02% -- crossing the 5% mark for the second time in three weeks -- after being as low as 4.42% as recently as early November.

Rates haven't been this high since May and forecasters now predict them to remain between 5% and 6% for all of 2011.

"You can kiss those record lows goodbye," said Greg McBride, chief economist for Bankrate.com.

Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates, a provider of mortgage information said that the market reached a new plateau.

"I don't think we're going back to a 50-year low anytime soon without an economic collapse," he said. "Rates will probably never revisit those levels."